Amid terror surge in Kaiama: How illegal mining business thrives in Kwara community

2026-03-09 - 04:36

By Demola Akinyemi, Ilorin Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State gained notoriety recently with a spate of terror activities. Locals were kidnapped in their dozens just as many lives were wasted. This report is the product of an embedded reporting by our correspondent who traveled to Kaiama to study the illegal mining going on in the area. The report is interesting. Bani community in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State was a slumbering town until it became a destination for unlicensed miners chasing lithium, as the global demand for the minerals needed to drive the transition to renewable energy, surged. Mining activities in Bani reportedly began about three years ago. Initially, the business was fraught with violence, as internal disputes between the predominantly non-Yoruba-speaking miners and Yoruba transporters often led to deadly clashes. However, these tensions have since subsided. “That is no longer the case. All of us are working together now because fighting will not allow us to get money from buyers,” an illegal miner who refused to give his name said, explaining the newfound cooperation among the miners. Once the minerals are transported out of Bani, they are usually taken to different locations in Sagamu, Ogun State, and sometimes to Lagos. An Ilorin-based indigene of Bani, who requested anonymity and owns two trucks, shared insights into the logistics of the trade. He disclosed that the transportation cost for a well-packed 50-kilogram bag of lithium ore from Bani to Ogere or Sagamu in Ogun State ranges between N1.5 million to N1.9 million. Before a consignment can leave Bani, it is marked to indicate the identity of the receiving agent and the appropriate collection centre. Permission to do illegal business The existence of “permits” that are said to protect those involved in illegal mining from legal action raises further concerns about corruption and the effectiveness of regulatory enforcement. He claimed that these permits, issued with the understanding of compromised security operatives, shield them from arrests by law enforcement. The Kwara State Government confirmed that mining in the area is unlicensed. When asked about the risk of arrests by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), he said, “We have never been arrested because we collect permits.” Another illegal miner, who identified himself as Mohammed Ibrahim from Kebbi State, disclosed that the miners use a dedicated WhatsApp group to coordinate their activities. The WhatsApp group serves as a platform where drivers are linked with buyers and sellers, and where discussions on permits and security payments are conducted. Despite occasional arrests and seizures by government authorities, the trade continues, with drivers like Ibrahim Aliu confident that their “permits” will protect them from legal repercussions. Asked where they get the permits from, many of them spoken to by Vanguard kept mum. But irrespective of government crackdowns and arrests, these operations continue, driven by high demand for green minerals like lithium. So in the midst of insecurity challenges bedevilling the Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State, illegal mining business in Bani community has continued to thrive. An illegal miner who preferred not to be mentioned in print explained to Vanguard that the permit is not official and only lasts for a trip.”We pay between N20,000 to N30,000 for a permit per trip, and it depends on the quantity of what we are taking away anyway. The officer – either police, NSCDC officer, customs or immigration – on duty will just put a stamp on a paper with the date and give it to us. With this, there’s no security official we meet on the road and show the paper that will disturb us. But the permit only lasts a trip,” he said. But the Spokesperson of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, in Kwara State, Michael Ayoola, however, said that they don’t grant them permits. We don’t have business with illegal miners, we are all out to arrest them. But a security source who knows about the business disclosed that “it’s Federal Ministry of Mines and Development that grants the miners permit as applicable.” A senior official in the state command of NSCDC who craved anonymity told Vanguard that the miners do give gratification to security officials to protect them from hoodlums who might want to disturb or dispose them of the stock while leaving the site. “The miners do appreciate security officers who gave them cover towards a successful operation,and I don’t think that is out of place apart from the official remuneration,” he added . Open market operations These illegal miners, according to Vanguard findings, operate with impunity. Their activities are well-known to local collaborators, including young locals who work at collection centers, and truck owners who facilitate the transport of the ore, a local, Umaru Ladan, told Vanguard. The trade in lithium ore popularly referred to as ‘Konsa’ in Bani is conducted both covertly and openly. At a local market, Vanguard observed several dealers with a store full of bags of lithium ore sourced from Bani and nearby communities, such as Daba, another settlement known for its illegal mining sites deep within the old Oyo National Park. Illegal mining in Kwara State is a growing concern, with significant implications for the local economy and environment. Usually when illegal miners are on duty, trucks rumble through the town of Bani to cart away lithium to various designated destinations. Loaded with critical minerals, the trucks would trace their journey to distant locations under the cover of darkness, often evading the scrutiny of law enforcement agencies. Terrorists’ scare? “The financial loss is immense,” said another dealer,who craved anonymity. “A ton of lithium sells for over $70,000, yet hundreds of trucks of lithium are illegally moved out of the state without record,” he stressed. But despite intensified government crackdowns, illegal mining continues to thrive in the state, driven by the high demand for minerals, leading to revenue losses for the government. Vanguard however gathered reliably that the terrorists are nowhere near the areas where illegal mining business takes place though they attack randomly. Yet, it is believed that illegal mining, like sugar, attracts terrorists. ‘’But no matter what happens we are glued to the business because of the very high profit we make’’ said an illegal miner who didn’t want his name mentioned. “I take miners from Ilorin to Bani twice in a week without any challenge at all; they do their business unhindered and I’ve not heard that any of them was abducted or attacked by terrorists in the recent time,” said Kokoma Ahmed, a driver on the Bani community route. Another truck driver, Segun Alolade, said Chinese buyers provide villagers with money to procure the minerals. After securing the ore, they contacted transporters like himself from Ilorin to move the minerals to Ogun State. Alolade also said that the transportation cost is between N1.9 million and N2.3 million, depending on the state of the road at the time of traveling. He said the work is enabled by compromised security operatives, who charge “ground commission” to look away as the minerals are transported. “We pay ground commissions to security agencies, including policemen, officials of the Nigerian Customs Service, and local vigilantes, to guarantee easy passage. Once the minerals are ready, drivers from Ilorin are summoned to transport the goods to destinations in Ogun State,” Alolade said. One of the dealers, Ibrahim Farouk, also confirmed that the illegal mining business has not been disturbed by the state of insecurity in the area as expected. “We have been going on with our work there without any interference,” Farouk snapped. On whether they had a deal with the terrorists to that effect, he said,”I can’t call it a deal but the thing is that we know them and they understand the kind of job we do. There’s no way we are disturbing them and we are not their targets either, so we don’t expect that they’ll come and attack us. Although, some of them who don’t know us come after us once in a while,” he explained. A community leader in Kaiama, Alh Mohammed Abdulazeez told Vanguard that banning mining won’t stop terrorism in Nigeria. According to him,”mineral resources are gifts from Almighty God for the use and development of the human race, so we shouldn’t deny ourselves of the critical advantages inherent therein. The best thing the federal government should do is to properly streamline mining operations, with adequate provision of security so that as a country we can be getting maximum results as expected.” It is believed that some of the terrorists are the ones who have fronts engaging in the mining. Sources within the area of operations insist that the reason why the illegal activities seem to continue undisturbed is because of the involvement of some of the terrorists who have their agents doing the business of mining lithium. A history of violent attacks A series of brutal, coordinated attacks were carried out by terrorists in the Woro and Nuku communities of Kaiama early last month. The attacks resulted in a high death toll, with reports suggesting over 100 to 170 people were killed. The terrorists also abducted scores of residents, including women and children. Officials and residents confirmed that at least 78 to 160 people were killed, with many bodies buried in mass graves. Some reports indicate the death toll could rise to 170 or more. A video released late last month had women and children, victims of the Kaiama abductions, pleading for rescue. The terrorists are demanding a ransom before the release. Still, it is in this area that illegal mining activities are being done. Lamentation by farmers But the socio-ecological consequence is also devastating. Farmers say they have lost their farmlands to miners, who are often armed in remote communities where government institutions are virtually absent. The activities of the miners continue to take its toll on farmlands as each expansion activities per acre inches into farmlands. Some of the farmers say once mining activities start around their farms, they either stop work till late or they just go back home. “Even when we get to the farm early, once the miners come and start their mining, we can no longer farm. Worse, they sometimes stay until very late when we can no longer even farm”, a distraught farmer lamented.